LOON WITH H2 LIFT.pdf - Ningapi.ning.com/.../LOONwithH2Lift.pdf · LOON with H2 liftH2 lift 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al ... 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC ... 12 Test vehicle data has shown

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LOON with H2 liftH2 lift 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2

Balloon with H2 Lift

By: Gabe from HODinfo.com and Howard [email protected]

This is an engineering concept document.6/18/2013

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ContentsIntroduction -- Balloon with H2 lift ............................................................................. 3This is the CC-HOD method for producing hydrogen ............................................... 3Section 1 -- Introduction to the CC-HOD process ..................................................... 4CC-HOD -- Catalytic carbon chemical sequence ....................................................... 5Game changer ............................................................................................................... 6CC-HOD CHARACTERISTICS................................................................................. 6Section 2 -- LOON progress ...................................................................................... 10Related technology -- SkySite from Space Data ...................................................... 16More related technology -- from WSGI ................................................................... 17Section 3 -- New Engineering Concepts for LOON ................................................. 18As initially designed .................................................................................................... 20Can the Balloon remain aloft indefinitely? ............................................................... 21Superpressure balloons not needed, if onboard hydrogen-on-demand is used ...... 22Older technology -- What are superpressure balloons? .......................................... 22New, better technology --Using onboard generation of hydrogen on demand ....... 22Is hydrogen better for lower cost, more compact balloons? ................................... 23Improved design protects payload in the event of a hydrogen fire ......................... 24What about the safety of hydrogen for use in unmanned balloons including the

LOON project? ...................................................................................................... 24Another reason why improved design protects payload in the event of a hydrogen

fire ........................................................................................................................... 25Global shortage of helium makes low-cost hydrogen seem like a better choice ... 26Air Well water source, for making hydrogen ........................................................... 27Closed-loop water source, for making hydrogen ..................................................... 29Cost-saving system design concepts .......................................................................... 30Other ideas? ................................................................................................................ 31

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Project Loon balloons float in the stratosphere, twice as high as airplanes and the weather.They are carried around the Earth by winds and they can be steered by rising ordescending to an altitude with winds moving in the desired direction. People connect tothe balloon network using a special Internet antenna attached to their building. The signalbounces from balloon to balloon, then to the global Internet back on Earth.Ref: http://www.google.com/loon/

2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2

Hydrogen = lightest gas in universeCarbon is light; no replacement neededWater can be extracted from atmosphereAluminum is light

Balloon with H2 Lift

Introduction -- Balloon with H2 lift

This is the CC-HOD method for producing hydrogen

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Section 1 -- Introduction to theCC-HOD process

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Carbon Electronegativityis 2.55

OxygenElectronegativityis 3.44

HydrogenElectronegativityis 2.20

Step 1: Because of similarelectronegativities, carbon can form astronger bond with hydrogen than canoxygen. Carbon competes with oxygen andsteals hydrogen from the water molecule(formation of a transient C-H group), leavingbehind a stable OH group. The formationof the C-H group is very favorable, but thenotorious instability of the C-H group causesit to exist as a group for only a short time.

Step 2: The C-H group dissociates. Thenotorious instability of the C-H group isexplained in chemistry books as follows:“The trouble with CH is not that the C andH atoms will not remain together, but thatthey can not keep other atoms away.” Thehydrogen atom combines with another

Hydrogenmolecule

H2O

C-H

O-H

hydrogen atom (equal electronegativities,leading to a strong covalent bond). Theresulting hydrogen molecule (a gas) escapesfrom the liquid. After C-H dissociation, thefree carbon atom repeats the cycle (Step1).

Step 3: Aluminum is more reactive thancarbon, and acquires the O-H group.Similarly, it acquires two additional O-Hgroups to form aluminum hydroxide.

For a balanced reaction, 2Al + 6H2O = 2Al(OH)3

+ 3H2 . In the balanced chemical system,Step1 occurs 6 times, Step 2 occurs 2 timesand Step 3 occurs 3 times.

Step 1

Step 2

Hydrogenliberated asa gas

CC-HOD -- Catalytic carbon chemical sequence

The generation of hydrogen results from achemical reaction that is powered by cata-lytic carbon to produce hydrogen at anydesired rate, on demand.

2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2

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Game changer

Before CC-HOD became available, it was not possible or practical to producehydrogen on demand (HOD) at the rate needed to obtain a 30% fuel cost savingsfor cargo ships, diesel-electric generators sometimes called GENSETs, locomotivesand trucks, including the common 18-wheeler commercial truck.

Now and for the future, the situation will be different. The new technology, CC-HOD, makes it possible and practical, for the first time on earth, to produce hydrogenon demand (HOD) at the rate needed to obtain a 30% fuel cost savings for largeengines.

The CC-HOD technology is available to any company that wants to commercialize this technology. We want totake this new hydrogen-generation technology to the people of the world.

We call it Catalytic Carbon, Hydrogen On Demand — CC-HOD. This simple, straightforward hydrogen-generation approach is the only technology, worldwide, that combines all of the following features and advan-tages:

CC-HOD CHARACTERISTICS

1 CC-HOD results in more energy when the hydrogen is used (combusted, burned) than the energyrequired to generate the hydrogen. CC-HOD is the only technology, worldwide, that can generate hydrogen atany rate desired (high LPM) using less energy than the useful energy released when the hydrogen is used(combusted, burned).

If the hardware is designed to operate at thermal equilibrium, input power is needed only during thestart-up phase, as the hydrogen-producing cell is heated to approximately 180F. After that, hydrogen can beproduced at any rate desired, with no more input power required to operate the cell. The chemical reaction isexothermic (produces some heat) and that can be used to offset the heat lost as a result of cooling of the cellduring operation.

2 CC-HOD does not produce HHO. HHO is produced by electrolysis. CC-HOD produces hydrogen;with no oxygen in the output. When water is split, the oxygen is bound through the formation of aluminumhydroxide, which is retained in the water.

3 CC-HOD uses only low-cost and friendly materials (carbon and fuel).

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4 CC-HOD uses only two fuels — aluminum and water. All the hydrogen produced comes from water.The process uses about 3 times more water than aluminum. The water does not need to be distilled. Any waterwill work. Sea water can be used to generate hydrogen. Dirty water can be used to generate hydrogen usingthe CC-HOD process.

5 The aluminum does not need to be of high purity. Scrap aluminum will work. Recycled aluminum canbe used to generate hydrogen using the CC-HOD process. The result is that lower-cost aluminum will lead to acost advantage for hydrogen production using the CC-HOD process.

6 Scrap aluminum exists in abundance. An online video shows how scrap aluminum is recovered from thetrash you throw away every day. Pay close attention to the video at the 3 min : 50 second mark in the video.That's where the company says they recover the amount of aluminum required for 1 billion beverage cans -- andthey do that every year. This amount of aluminum is recovered by just this ONE company! This is the kind ofaluminum we need for CC-HOD production of hydrogen. We do not need high-purity aluminum. Here is thelink to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sS60ND1FkBI

7 CC-HOD produces hydrogen, with no oxygen. This is done with no filters and no separator cell designrequirements.

8 CC-HOD produces hydrogen that is 93% pure, based on independent test laboratory results, availableonline at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/PUR.pdf

9 Because the hydrogen is generated from water, the output gas is about 7% water vapor. The remainderis 93% pure hydrogen, as noted above.

10 The CC-HOD process is based on catalytic chemistry which is well understood. See the online de-scription of CC-HOD at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/CCS.pdf

11 Catalytic Carbon is a non-stoichiometric heterogenous surface-activated catalyst. Complete activationprocess details are provided to anyone who licenses the CC-HOD technology.

12 Test vehicle data has shown a mileage improvement of 32%. These results are not in dispute. Thisamount of MPG improvement has been obtained by many other workers using both HHO (separator celloperation) and pure hydrogen -- including hydrogen produced using the CC-HOD method. A mileage im-provement of 32% using CC-HOD is documented online at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/CT.pdf

13 CC-HOD can generate hydrogen at ANY rate (LPM, GPM), limited only by the hardware design.

14 The production of hydrogen using the CC-HOD technology has been publicly demonstrated, at a rateof 30 gallons per minute. The public demonstration (hydrogen production at 30 gallons/minute) is documentedonline at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/CD.pdf

15 The CC-HOD technology has been verified. It has been successfully used to produce hydrogen byworkers worldwide. The technology verification and the countries where CC-HOD was evaluated are docu-mented online at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/AHA.pdf

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16 The CC-HOD technology has been endorsed by the American Hydrogen Association. This endorse-ment is documented online at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/ROY.pdf

17 The CC-HOD technology can produce the hydrogen ON DEMAND, or “HOD.”

18 STORAGE TANKS: Because CC-HOD can be used to generate hydrogen at any required rate(LPM), there is no need for hydrogen storage tanks for most applications. This is a major system-design costsavings. In particular, this advantage supports the future development of hydrogen fuel applications, becauseCC-HOD can be considered as a technology that can eliminate the now-unnecessary requirement for a hydro-gen infrastructure involving hydrogen refueling stations.

19 The CC-HOD technology can output hydrogen, directly from the cell, at ANY pressure, limited only bythe hardware design. For the few system-design applications requiring a storage tank, the tank can be refilled,directly from the CC-HOD cell, to ANY pressure.

20 The CC-HOD technology produces only TWO products — hydrogen and aluminum hydroxide (AH).

21 Aluminum hydroxide is a valuable and safe industrial material. After harvesting the hydrogen, the AHby-product is both environmentally safe, not controlled by EPA, and can be either discarded or recycled. Moreinfo online at www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/AHU.pdf

22 CORROSION CHARACTERISTICS: The CC-HOD hydrogen production process can operate as awater mixture that is pH neutral. The mixture is not required to be either acid nor is it required to be alkaline.Operation under pH neutral conditions reduces corrosion normally associated with electrolysis cells, because ofthe use of strong electrolytes and high electric currents required for electrolysis.

23 A comparison between CC-HOD and electrolysis is online: www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/CT.pdf

24 SAFETY: The CC-HOD process offers the advantage of a chemical mixture that is more safe thanelectrolysis. As noted above, the mixture is pH neutral and contains no harsh chemicals. Literally, a person canwash their hands in this mixture. The safety cautions are associated with either pressure buildup or thermalburns because the cell operating temperature may be in the range of 180F.

25 The CC-HOD process offers the advantage of operation at atmosphere pressure. Most prototype cellshave been designed to operate at a pressure of approximately 1 ATM. The process CAN produce high pres-sures if pressure-seal containment is employed in the design, but doing so is not necessary and not required forproducing hydrogen at any desired rate (LPM), limited only by hardware design.

26 The CC-HOD technology can produce hydrogen with no critical parameter control required, leading toa hydrogen manufacturing process that is said, by manufacturing engineers, to have a WIDE PROCESS LATI-TUDE which leads to easy control and therefore low cost for hardware used to produce the hydrogen.

27 CC-HOD is believed to be best suited for many commercial applications that are part of a $150 Billion/year market for hydrogen and hydrogen products. Market size and forecasts: www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/HM.pdf

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28 CC-HOD may be the best technology that can help the trucking industry meet the new standards beingimposed by the Obama administration. The announcement says: “New big rigs— tractor-trailers we see onthe road every day— will have to cut emissions and fuel consumption by a minimum of 20% by 2018.Given, with your average semi pulling about 6 mpg, the rise might seem pretty modest. But when youconsider that the average long-haul freight-liner travels about 100,000 miles a year, and that heavy-duty vehicles account for 20% of all fuel consumption in the US, it’s clear the effects will really addup over time.” For more, please see http://blog.uship.com/us/2010/11/obama-announces-fuel-economy-standards-for-heavy-vehicles-trucks.html

29 TRUCK FUEL COST REDUCTION -- Cost analyses and engineering data are available that showthe commercial advantages of using CC-HOD for use in fuel cost reduction for 18-wheeler commercial trucks.For more information about this engineering study, contact Phillips Company.

30 RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE FUEL COST REDUCTION -- CC-HOD is the focus of a cost-benefitengineering study showing how this new technology can provide a 30% increase the MPG efficiency of railroadlocomotives. For more information about this engineering study, contact Phillips Company.

31 GENSET AND LARGE DIESEL-ELECTRIC GENERATOR FUEL COST REDUCTION -- Costanalyses and engineering data are available that show the commercial advantages of using CC-HOD for use infuel cost reduction for diesel-electric generators used to generate electricity for either emergency-power appli-cations or to generate electricity in off-grid locations. For more information about this engineering study, contactPhillips Company.

32 CARGO SHIP FUEL COST REDUCTION -- Cost analyses and engineering data are available thatshow the commercial advantages of using CC-HOD for use in fuel cost reduction for diesel engines used topower ships. For more information about this engineering study, contact Phillips Company.

33 The CC-HOD technology was the primary focus of the world’s first CC-HOD Hydrogen Cell DesignConference, held April 8, 2013. Conference info: www.PhillipsCompany.4T.com/HDC1.pdf

34 CC-HOD was developed by Phillips Company, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturingcompany. The Company operates as a not-for-profit business. We are not a hardware company. Accordingly,we plan to make the technology widely available for commercialization by company operations worldwide. TheCompany CC-HOD business model is online at www.PhillipsCompany.4t.com/bmH.pdf

35 PATENT PENDING -- CC-HOD is a patent-pending technology.

36 LICENSING PROGRAM -- The CC-HOD technology can be licensed for use by any company. Thelicensee can then manufacture or produce catalytic carbon for use in commercial products; and market/sell thoseproducts with full encouragement from Phillips Company.

37 This simple, straightforward hydrogen-generation approach is the only technology, worldwide, thatcombines all of the characteristics, features and advantages listed above.

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Section 2 -- LOON progress

Ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22905199

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Ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22905199

Google is launching balloons into near space to provide internet access to buildings belowon the ground.

About 30 of the superpressure balloons are being launched from New Zealand from wherethey will drift around the world on a controlled path.

Attached equipment will offer 3G-like speeds to 50 testers in the country.

Access will be intermittent, but in time the firm hopes to build a big enough fleet to offerreliable links to people living in remote areas.

It says that balloons could one day be diverted to disaster-hit areas to aid rescue efforts insituations where ground communication equipment has been damaged.

But one expert warns that trying to simultaneously navigate thousands of the high-altitudeballoons around the globe's wind patterns will prove a difficult task to get right.

Google calls the effort Project Loon and acknowledges it is "highly experimental" at thisstage.

The giant balloons carrying computerequipment are being launched in New Zealand

Larger, older-technologyballoons can be replacedby smaller, lighter, morecompact balloons usingonboard hydrogen ondemand. See Section 1 ofthis document for details.

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Older Technology -- What are superpressure balloons?

Superpressure balloons are made out of tightly sealed plastic capable ofcontaining highly pressurized lighter-than-air gases.

The aim is to keep the volume of the balloon relatively stable even if there arechanges in temperature.

This allows them to stay aloft longer and be better at maintaining a specificaltitude than balloons which stretch and contract.

In particular it avoids the problem of balloons descending at night when theirgases cool.

The concept was first developed for the US Air Force in the 1950s using astretched polyester film called Mylar.

The effort resulted in the Ghost (global horizontal sounding technique)program which launched superpressure balloons from Christchurch, NewZealand to gather wind and temperature data over remote regions of theplanet.

Over the following decade 88 balloons were launched, the longest stayingaloft for 744 days.

Each balloon is 15m (49.2ft) in diameter - the length of a small plane - and filled with liftinggases. Electronic equipment hangs underneath including radio antennas, a flight computer,an altitude control system and solar panels to power the gear.

Google aims to fly the balloons in the stratosphere, 20km (12 miles) or more above theground, which is about double the altitude used by commercial aircraft and abovecontrolled airspace.

Google says each should stay aloft for about 100 days and provide connectivity to an areastretching 40km in diameter below as they travel in a west-to-east direction.

The firm says the concept could offer a way to connect the two-thirds of the world'spopulation which does not have affordable net connections.

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"It's pretty hard to get the internet to lots of parts of the world," Richard DeVaul, chieftechnical architect at Google[x] - the division behind the scheme - told the BBC.

"Just because in principle you could take a satellite phone to sub-Saharan Africa and get aconnection there, it doesn't mean the people have a cost-effective way of getting online.

Special antennas have been fitted to the homes of test volunteers in New Zealand

"The idea behind Loon was that it might be easier to tie the world together by using what ithas in common - the skies - than the process of laying fibre and trying to put up cellphone infrastructure."'Low risk'

Previous proposals to provide connectivity from the upper atmosphere suggested floatinghigh-altitude platforms that stayed in one place and were tethered to the ground.

Google rejected this idea as it involved fighting the winds, meaning the equipment wouldhave to be large, expensive and limited to a fixed area.

But using free-floating balloons introduces another problem: how to ensure they are wherethey are supposed to be.

"We didn't want them to go just wherever the winds took them, we wanted them to gowhere the internet is needed on the ground," said Mr. DeVaul.

"You have to cause them to move up or down just a little bit through the stratosphere tocatch the appropriate wind - which is how we steer them.

"So we have to choreograph a whole ballet of this fleet, and that requires some impressivecomputing science and a whole lot of computing power."

Electronics powered by solar panels hang from beneath the balloons

The balloons will communicate with Google's "mission control" where computer serverswill carry out the calculations needed to keep them on track, monitored by a small numberof engineers.

The software makes adjustments to each balloon's altitude to take advantage of forecast

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wind conditions, and nudges the balloons up or down to find a more favorable streamwhen the predictions are not accurate.

Since the equipment is dependent on solar power, the algorithms must also ensure there isenough charge left in the batteries to allow them to carry on working as they travel throughthe night.

At the end of their working life, the software initiates a controlled descent so that the kitcan be recovered by teams of locally-based employees.

"They have aviation transponders on them and we're in constant contact with civil aviationauthorities while the balloons are going up and coming down," Mr. DeVaul added.

"They have flashing lights and radar reflectors, so as far as aviation hazards go these Loonballoons present very low risk to aircraft.

"And they also pose low risk to anybody on the ground because even in the unlikelyscenario that one suddenly and unexpectedly fails, they have parachutes that areautomatically deployed."

Google says the balloons should not pose a threat to commercial aircraft

A group of about 50 testers based in Christchurch and Canterbury, New Zealand, havehad special antennas fitted to their properties to receive the balloons' signals.

Google now plans to partner with other organizations to fit similar equipment to otherbuildings in countries on a similar latitude, so that people in Argentina, Chile, South Africaand Australia can also take part in the trial.Tough challenge

The search firm is not the first to pursue such an idea. An Arizona-based firm, SpaceData, already provides blimp-based radio repeaters to the US Air Force to allow it toextend communications coverage.

Project Loon balloons are made of plastic just 3mm (0.1in) thick

Another Orlando-based firm, World Surveillance Group, sells similar equipment to the USArmy and other government agencies.

However, they typically remain airborne for up to a few days at a time rather than for

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months, and are not as wide-ranging. One expert cautioned that Google might find itharder to control its fleet than it hoped.

"The practicalities of controlling lighter-than-air machines are well known because of thevagaries of the weather," said Prof. Alan Woodward, visiting professor at the University ofSurrey's department of computing.

"It's going to take a lot of effort to make these things wander in an autonomous way and Ithink it may take them a little longer to get right than they might believe."

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SkySite®

Space Data has integrated three proven technologies—ever-shrinkingelectronics, industrial weather balloons and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)technology. The SkySite® Network consists of high-altitude, balloon-bornetransceivers known as SkySite® Platforms, which are launched every 8 to 12hours. Each SkySite® Platform takes just 20 minutes to launch and rises to analtitude of 60,000 to 100,000 feet, creating a coverage circle of over 400 miles.

Contact info: Space Data Corporation 2535 W. Fairview St Suite 101 Chandler, AZ 85224 Phone Number: (480) 722-2100 Toll Free: (866) 416-4375 Fax Number: (480) 403-0021

Related technology -- SkySite from Space Data

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WSGI designs and builds specialized airships capable of carrying various payloadsand transmitting various types of wireless communications. Placing acommunications platform into the stratosphere is an idea that can fundamentallychange how the world delivers wireless telecommunications, and the way wecommunicate.

Tel. 321.452.3545Inquiry FormKennedy Space Center, FL

More related technology --from WSGI

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Section 3 -- New EngineeringConcepts for LOON

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Higher altitude: Hydrogenkeeps Balloon aloft at a higheraltitude, until leakage depletes thehydrogen. As hydrogen is lost,the Balloon descends to a loweraltitude.

Lower altitude: There is morewater in the atmosphere at loweraltitudes. Water is extracted fromthe atmosphere, used to generatemore hydrogen, and the Balloonrises to a higher altitude.

Project Loon balloons travel around 20 km above the Earth’s surface in the stratosphere.Winds in the stratosphere are generally steady and slow-moving at between 5 and 20 mph,and each layer of wind varies in direction and magnitude. Project Loon uses softwarealgorithms to determine where its balloons need to go, then moves each one into a layer ofwind blowing in the right direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arrangedto form one large communications network.

Ref: http://www.google.com/loon/how/

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The balloon envelope is the name for the inflatable part of the balloon. ProjectLoon’s balloon envelopes are made from sheets of polyethylene plastic andstand fifteen meters wide by twelve meters tall when fully inflated. They arespecially constructed for use in superpressure balloons, which are longer-lastingthan weather balloons because they can withstand higher pressure from the airinside when the balloons reach float altitude. A parachute attached to the top ofthe envelope allows for a controlled descent and landing whenever a balloon isready to be taken out of service.

Ref: http://www.google.com/loon/how/

As initially designed

Improved design -- using on-board generation of hydrogen on demand (HOD)

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Can the Balloon remain aloft indefinitely?

The balloon will rise until itdisplaces as much air as itweighs, and float in exactly thesame manner as a boat inwater. As it rises, it expandsand either the balloon will popor it won't and settle atequilibrium. It will leak (heliumis notoriously hard to contain)and eventually settle lower andlower

Using onboard generation on hydrogenon demand, less hydrogen is needed tolaunch the Balloon, and the hydrogenunder pressure is not needed to providefor replacement of hydrogen due toleakage.

The Balloon can be kept aloftindefinitely, using onboard generation ofhydrogen on demand; limited only bythe amount of very light aluminumpowder carried onboard.

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Older technology -- What are superpressure balloons?

Superpressure balloons are made out of tightly sealed plastic capable of containing highly pressurized lighter-than-air gases.

The aim is to keep the volume of the balloon relatively stable even if there are changes in temperature.

This allows them to stay aloft longer and be better at maintaining a specific altitude than balloons which stretchand contract.

In particular it avoids the problem of balloons descending at night when their gases cool.

The concept was first developed for the US Air Force in the 1950s using a stretched polyester film calledMylar.

The effort resulted in the Ghost (global horizontal sounding technique) program which launched superpressureballoons from Christchurch, New Zealand to gather wind and temperature data over remote regions of theplanet.

Over the following decade 88 balloons were launched, the longest staying aloft for 744 days.

More recently, NASA has experimented with the technology and suggested superpressure balloons could oneday be deployed into Mars's atmosphere.

New, better technology --Using onboard generation ofhydrogen on demand

New, better technology --Using onboard generation of hydrogen on demand,less hydrogen is needed to launch the Balloon, and the hydrogen under pressureis not needed to provide for replacement of hydrogen due to leakage.

The Balloon can be kept aloft indefinitely, using onboard generation onhydrogen on demand; limited only by the amount of very light aluminumpowder carried onboard. Aluminum powder has a bulk density of 0.7 g/cc,30% less than the density of water.

Superpressure balloons not needed, if onboard hydrogen-on-demand is used

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Is hydrogen better for lower cost, more compact balloons?

The balloon will rise until itdisplaces as much air as itweighs, and float in exactly thesame manner as a boat inwater. As it rises, it expandsand either the balloon will popor it won't and settle atequilibrium. It will leak (heliumis notoriously hard to contain)and eventually settle lower andlower

Helium is 4 times more dense (4 timesheavier) than hydrogen. Clearly,hydrogen is the best choice to providethe lift capacity. Using hydrogen, thedesign can be more compact and canweigh less -- very important for thedesign of balloons.

Helium is inert, and will not burn,making it the ideal choice for balloonsthat carry humans. For unmannedballoons, hydrogen can be a betteroption.

So, what about the safety of hydrogenfor use in unmanned balloons includingthe LOON project?

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What about the safety of hydrogen for use in unmanned balloonsincluding the LOON project?

Initial design: A parachute attached to the top of theenvelope allows for a controlled descent and landingwhenever a balloon is ready to be taken out of service.Ref: http://www.google.com/loon/how/

1 If the hydrogen is ignited by lightning or by electrical spark,the hydrogen in the Balloon will burn if there is enough oxygenpresent. At higher altitudes, the rarified atmosphere reduces thispossibility, but at lower altitudes a hydrogen burn is possible.

2 Hydrogen is in the Balloon; not in the payload.

3 Pure hydrogen will not explode; but it will burn if ignited.Recall the photographs of the Hindenburg -- no explosion but burningwhen air (oxygen) reached the hydrogen.

4 The hydrogen Balloon is connected by a tether long enoughto provide safety for the payload in the event of a hydrogen fire.

5 Disconnect hardware, designed to release the hydrogenBalloon if a temperature sensor detects a hydrogen fire.

6 The disconnect hardware simultaneously deploys theparachute.

7 The electronics and antenna hardware float gently to earth,as designed in the original design of the LOON Balloon.

Improved design protects payload in the event of a hydrogen fire

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In the event of a hydrogen fire, the Balloon will quicklyrise to a higher altitude, providing distance, andtherefore protection, for the payload.

Pure hydrogen will not explode; but it will burn ifignited. Recall the photographs of the Hindenburg --no explosion but burning when air (oxygen) reachedthe hydrogen.

The disconnect hardware is designed to release thehydrogen Balloon if a temperature sensor detects ahydrogen fire.

The disconnect hardware simultaneously deploys theparachute.

The electronics and antenna hardware float gently toearth, as designed in the original design of the LOONBalloon.

Another reason why improved design protects payload in theevent of a hydrogen fire

Rapid separation of payload from hydrogen fire

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Global shortage of helium makes low-cost hydrogen seem like abetter choice

A global shortage of helium is taking the air out of party balloon sales, but it could havemore far-reaching ramifications.

Helium also is used in MRI machines, by researchers and in semiconductormanufacturing.

Congress is considering legislation that would prevent the shutdown of the Federal HeliumProgram, a remnant from the age of zeppelins that provides about 40 percent of thenation's supply of the lighter-than-air gas.

So far, the shortage has primarily hit party balloon sellers, who have seen prices spike andsupplies tighten.

"Not only has the price more than tripled in two years, we're on an allocation basis and aregetting 30 to 40 percent of what we used to be able to get," said Craig Ritchie, owner ofthe LTM Party stores in Sarasota and Port Charlotte.

The price of helium has more than tripled in two years

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130609/article/130609663

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Air well technology -- An air well or aerial well is a structure or device that collects waterby promoting the condensation of moisture from air. Designs for air wells are many andvaried, but the simplest designs are completely passive, require no external energy sourceand have few, if any, moving parts.

Three principal designs are used for air wells: high mass, radiative and active. High-massair wells were used in the early 20th century, but the approach failed. From the late 20thcentury onwards, low-mass, radiative collectors proved to be much more successful.Active collectors collect water in the same way as a dehumidifier; although the designswork well, they require an energy source, making them uneconomical except in specialcircumstances. New, innovative designs seek to minimise the energy requirements ofactive condensers or make use of renewable energy resources.Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_well_(condenser)Ref: Suggestions received from J. McBroom" <[email protected]>

Dew collector technology -- By the end of the twentieth century, the details of how dewcondenses were much better understood, the key insight being that low-mass collectorsthat rapidly lose heat by radiation performed best. A number of researchers worked onthis method.[29] In the early 1960s, simple dew condensers made from sheets ofpolyethylene supported on a simple frame resembling a ridge tent were used in Israel toirrigate plants. Saplings supplied with dew and very slight rainfall from these collectors

2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al(OH)3 + 3H2

Hydrogen = lightest gas in universeCarbon is light; no replacement neededWater can be extracted from atmosphereAluminum is light

This is the CC-HOD method for producing hydrogen

Air Well water source, for making hydrogen

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survived much better than the control group planted without such aids – they all dried upover the summer.[30] And in 1986 in New Mexico condensers made of a special foilproduced sufficient water to supply young saplings. The International Organisation forDew Utilization is a source of more information.

We believe the principles described above can be easily adapted to the LOONproject. The use of the Balloon envelope to collect water is recommended. Thisconcept should work better at lower altitudes, where both the air and water vapor exist inhigher concentration.

Closed-loop water system -- The CC-HOD hydrogen production method requires hotwater, at a temperature of approximately 180F. The use of a closed-loop water system onthe Balloon can simplify the system design, and eliminate the need for capturing waterfrom the atmosphere. Such a design is described on the following page.

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Closed-loop water system -- The CC-HOD hydrogen production method requires hotwater, at a temperature of approximately 180F. The use of a closed-loop water system onthe Balloon can simplify the system design, and eliminate the need for capturing waterfrom the atmosphere. Such a design concept is described below.

www.smarterhomes.org.nz

CC-HOD cell

Hydrogen withsome water vapor Condensed

water

Closed-loop water source, for making hydrogen

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Cost-saving system design concepts

1. Use a pressurized cell, and release hydrogen only when needed to keep the systemaloft. This reduces the number of power-consuming heat-up cycles per year of operation.

2. When solar power is not needed for battery charging, that power can be used to heatup the CC-HOD cell and produce hydrogen that will increase the pressure in the cell to thedesired “full tank” pressure. Any excess hydrogen can easily be vented. Hydrogen in theatmosphere is a natural (non polluting) part of the earth’s atmosphere, especially at highaltitudes.

3. Design the system so that there is NO requirement for keeping the system in a specificgeographical region. Let it go where it wants. It won’t get lost, because it will have a verylarge line-of-sight range of communication. Because of the long distance communicatingrange and high operating altitude, it can almost always contact another loon system andreport its GPS location. Then, only when/if needed, the system could change controlmodes, using up/down control, using winds from different directions at different altitudesto position the system above a specified geographical location.

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Other ideas?

Documents

LOON WITH H2 LIFT.pdf - Ningapi.ning.com/.../LOONwithH2Lift.pdf · LOON with H2 liftH2 lift 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC + 2Al ... 2Al + 6H2O + CC = CC ... 12 Test vehicle data has shown